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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Painted King

CONSERVATION OF ORIGINAL KAMEHAMEHA I STATUE

DETAILED IN NEW BOOK, THE PAINTED KING

Visiting art conservator to present book at two events on November 22

HONOLULU — New York art conservator Glenn Wharton will visit Honolulu on November 21–23 to launch The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authen­ticity in Hawai‘i, released this month by University of Hawai‘i Press.[http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-8559-9780824836122.aspx/] The book is Wharton’s first-hand account of his life-changing experiences while working with the North Kohala community in conserving the original King Kame­hameha I statue in Kapa‘au. (The Kamehameha statue in downtown Honolulu is a replica; the original, cast in Paris in the 1880s and the first statue in the Islands, stands before the old courthouse in rural Kapa‘au, North Kohala, the legendary birthplace of Kamehameha I.)

During his upcoming visit, Dr. Wharton will first make a stop on the Big Island to celebrate the book’s publication with North Kohala residents. He will then fly to Honolulu and has two events scheduled for Tuesday, November 22. The public is invited to attend these free events (books will be available for purchase):From 3:00-4:30 p.m., at the Queen Lili‘uokalani Center, Room 412, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Dr. Wharton will give a brief presentation on his book, followed by comments from UH-Mānoa faculty Karen Kosasa and Ty Tengan. Professor Geoffrey White from the Department of Anthropology will moderate the discussion. Karen Kosasa is associate professor of American studies and director of the Museum Studies program. Ty Kāwika Tengan is associate professor of anthropology and ethnic studies and author of the book, Native Men Remade.From 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Hawai‘i Arts Alliance will join UH Press in celebrating The Painted King at Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai'i, with a short talk by the author, followed by a book-signing and reception. With several national grants, the Hawai'i Arts Alliance was able to support the work of Glenn Wharton for the conservation of the original monument. In addition to The Painted King, the DVD of King Kamehameha: A Legacy Renewed, directed by Tuti Baker, which PBS nationally broadcast in 2002, will also be available for purchase.Glenn Wharton holds dual positions at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and New York University (NYU). At MoMA he serves as time-based media conservator, where he cares for video, performance, and electronic collections. At NYU he is a research scholar in the Museum Studies program, teaching graduate courses on the conservation of cultural heritage.

Published by University of Hawai‘i Press, The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authenticity in Hawai‘i is priced at $19.00, paperback and $42.00, hardcover. Books will be available at local retailers and can be ordered directly from UH Press—address: 2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, HI 96822; phone: (808) 956-8255 or toll-free 1-888-847-7377; FAX: (808) 988-6052 or toll-free 1-800-650-7811; email: uhpbooks@hawaii.edu; or online via its website: http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/.For more information, contact Carol Abe at UH Press, phone (808) 956-8697; email: abec@hawaii.edu